Metropolitan Vladimir Sabodan: biography. Sermons of the Metropolitan

Metropolitan Vladimir Sabodan was buried on July 7, 2014 at the monastery cemetery of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra above the Dalnie Caves, right behind the bell tower, opposite the entrance to the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin. This cemetery is very ancient, and only those who have special merits before the church and the state are buried on it. Here, heroes and participants of the Patriotic War of 1812, icon painters, abbesses and archimandrites are buried. On this day to say goodbye to his beloved archpastor, an endless stream of people with flowers rushed. His Beatitude died on the 79th year of life from cancer.

Vladimir Sabodan: biography

Metropolitan Vladimir in the world was called Victor Sabodan. He was born on November 23, 1935 in the Ukrainian village Markovtsy, that in the Khmelnytsky region. In 1954 he went to study at the Odessa Theological Seminary, then, from 1958, he studied already at the Leningrad Academy, which he graduated to as a candidate of theology. In 1962 he was ordained a priest and tonsured as a monk. Since 1965, he headed the Odessa Seminary, where he was rector.

In 1966, he was ordained a bishop and took up the post of representative of the Russian Orthodox Church at the World Council of Churches in Geneva. Since 1968, he served as a bishop in Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky, and a year later - in the Chernigov Department. From 1973 to 1982 years. He was appointed rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, then - Metropolitan of Rostov and Novocherkassk. Since 1984, he served as the patriarchal exarchate of Western Europe. Then, from 1987, he became manager for the affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate.

In 1992, the Bishops' Council of the UOC elected him to the high office of Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine, the head of the UOC.

The sermon of Metropolitan Vladimir Sabodan

After himself, he left a huge number of sermons, left in his manuscripts and speeches before his flock, graduates of theological seminaries and academies.

Selected sermons of Vladimir Sabodan composed two volumes of a book titled The Word Dissolved by Love, where the spiritual experience and instructions of his 30-year-old episcopal ministry are imprinted. The first volume included selected sermons of the lord, dedicated to the twelve feasts, on which one can draw a general idea of his preaching works.

In the second there are selected festive, Sunday and other sermons that Metropolitan Vladimir Sabodan used to say before the believers in his life. These sermons are intended for a wide range of readers: laity, clergy, for all who are interested in the issues of spiritual life.

A little bit about his personal life

Metropolitan Vladimir Sabodan was very fond of daisies, he dedicated poetry to these snow-white flowers and composed a song. But this was preceded by a special story.

In his youth, he, even then Victor, twice wanted to get married. His first bride was Raya, he met her while studying at the Odessa Theological Seminary. No one then assumed that he would become a monk. He had a friend-namesake, also Viktor, his name was Petlyuchenko, now he is archpriest of the Odessa Holy Trinity Cathedral. And interestingly, the brides of these two friends were called Paradise. Then a misfortune happened, and the bride of the future metropolitan died for unknown reasons. When his friends were in church, he was crying quietly, standing in the altar.

But after a while Vladimir Sabodan again wanted to marry and found his bride - a pretty daughter of a priest. But after the marriage, she suddenly also died suddenly. At that time he had already studied at the Leningrad Theological Academy and had not had time to attend the funeral, when the coffin with the beloved's body was buried in the cemetery. After this death, he wrote a very beautiful and touching song "Chamomile White".

The old Kuksha of Odessa, comforting him, told him: "One must be someone in Kiev." With these words he predicted a great future for him.

Now every time when Metropolitan Volodymyr came to his native village, fellow villagers, former classmates and relatives always sang this song to him, she became their favorite.

Parent's House

Vladimir Sabodan grew up in an ordinary rural family, and he had three more brothers: Mikhail, Alexander and Stepan. My father liked to fish, and he even had a boat. Mother mainly engaged in the house, she married at the age of sixteen and was younger than her husband. It was very difficult for her to cope with five men, but, thank God, everyone was healthy. He saved the garden on which they grew potatoes, and fishing. Vladimir Sabodan was the youngest in the family, and his main task was cleaning the house.

Once Vladimir asked his father for his oars from the boat. The guys swam to the middle of the Bug River, they swam and drowned them accidentally. In the evening, Vladimir received his father from the back of his head and by the "soft spot". My mother cried, but my father brought up his boys in severity. A few years later, Vladimir Sabodan, already a seminarian, came home with his friends on vacation and caught a big fish, even the photo remained in memory of such a catch.

Younger

From the very childhood, Vladimir had love and special interest in the church. Lived amicably, the whole family went to church and observed fasts. In the evening, if my mother was not too tired, she would read the Gospel to her sons. And my father even once worked as a prefect in the church. Being in the 4th grade, Vladimir Sabodan became a priest. Then there was a priest in the church, an old archpriest Sylvester, he learned Vladimir the Church Slavonic language, and then instilled in him a love of poetry and much more that was useful to him in the priestly life.

That he will become a priest, he was predicted as a child. On the other side of the Bug stood the Transfiguration Monastery, in which they baptized Vladimir. In 1943, when his mother brought him to the church, one old lady, a blind Archiloy-nun, laying her hand on the boy's head, and then taking his mother's hand, said her son would be intelligent and become a priest.

Faith in God

Faith for Metropolitan Vladimir is something invisible, it helps to find landmarks in life, and it is necessary to rely on it. Love and hope follow her. After all, the relationship between God and man is very profound.

In 2009, when Patriarch Alexy II died, at the local council in Moscow they began to choose a new leader. The Beatitude Metropolitan of Kiev, Vladimir, scored more votes, but he withdrew his candidacy in favor of Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad.

He joked about this and explained the refusal by that he wants to die at the Kiev department and before God to appear as the 121nd Metropolitan of Kiev, and not just the 16th Patriarch of Moscow. But the true cause of the refusal was the state of his health.

Disease

In the fall of 2011, Metropolitan Vladimir became very ill. First, he was tortured by Parkinson's disease, then, in 2013, stomach cancer was found in the last stage. He was given an urgent surgery in France, where the doctors stated that the diagnosis was too late. In February, the Holy Synod of the UOC, for health reasons, suspended the metropolitan from fulfilling his duties and the Metropolitan Onufriy (Berezovsky) was appointed a locum tenens of the Kiev department.

July 5, 2013, Vladimir Sabodan rested with the world. His Beatitude Metropolitan lamented all his life that he had not learned to play the violin and speak a foreign language. However, he, like a real archpastor, was able to give people real consolation, wise advice, help and a hot prayer.

Awards

On July 9, 2011 he was awarded the honorary title of Hero of Ukraine. On January 23, 2010 he received the Order of Freedom. Metropolitan Volodymyr is the full knight of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise. July 11, 2013 he received the Order of Alexander Nevsky. This list of awards, orders and diplomas can be continued and continued, because it was an outstanding personality, which left a bright trace in the hearts of people.